Frictional resistance device



July 19,1932. J, STALEY 1,868,262

FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE DEVICE Filed Jan. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/ .2 14. lo I5 Z0 16 2/ fn venzor, (Awe 04 hi \SZa/ey,

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y 19, 1932- J. H. STALEY FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE D EVICE Filed Jan. 16. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uh mm lw t n6 WH A W. 0 a J flfforn e o.

Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES .rosnrn: n. SVTALEY, or connrinusrnnmna FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE DEVICE Application filed January 16, 1931.

springs without the necessity of having to substitute one for the other, springs of varying sizes.

Further objects reside in the unique assembly and new association of the various ele- -ments-enteringinto the combinations, such objects becoming apparent in the following description of theinvention as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.1 isa fragmentary sideelevation of a structure embodying my invention;

Fig.2, an end elevation ofthe structure;

' Fig, 3, a top plan View of an exercising device embodying my invention;

Fig. 4;a fragmentary side elevation of that device;

' Fig. 5, a fragmentary top plan view on an enlarged scale of the frictiondevice as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig; 6, a detail in fragmentary rear elevation ofthe rope guide and pedal mounting;

Fig. 7, a detail-in vertical section on the line 77 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8, a top plan view of a modified form of the friction plate holding mechanism; and

'Fig. 9, a vertical section on the line 9''9 in'Fi-g'. 8.

Likecharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawings; v

'"Referringto the-drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, wherein an elementary form of the invention is illustrated, a pulley 10' is rotatably carried on a'shaft 11 which is carried by the brackets 12 and 13. A disc la made of any suitablematerial is loosely mounted the Serial. No. 509,090.

shaft 11 and is adapted to be pressed laterally against the side face of the pulley 10 by means of aplate 15 also rotatably carried on the shaft 11. The plate 15 is provided with an outturned hub 16 within which are carried ball bearings 17 which may ride about the cone 18. "The end of theshaft 11 is screwthreadedto screw-threadedly carry thereon the cone 18 and the nut 19 whereby the shaft 11 may be held stationary'in respect to the bracket 12 by drawing up the nut 19 on the outer side of the bracket to carrythecone 18 firmly against the inner side of the bracket. On the face of the pulley 10 directed toward the bracket 13 is the hub 20 within which are-carried ball bearings 21 to ride about the cone 22' which is' slidably carried on the shaft 11. Theshaft 11 projects outwardly beyond the bracket 13 with a screwthreadedend on which is carried the adjust-- ingwheel 23. A sleeve 23 is slidably carried by the bracket 13 to receive-the shaft 11 slidably therethrough. The sleeve is longer than the thickness of the bracket and when the wheel 23 is drawn up'against the sleeve, the sleeve is pressed by its other end against'the cone 22. A cam 24: is pivotally supported from the bracket '12 to have its contour in rotative contact with the periphery of the plate A tension spring 25 has one end engaged to a post 26 on the bracket 12 and theother endtolthe post 25 projecting laterally from the cam 24. By means of the spring 25, the cam 24 is rocked and held in contact with theplate 15.

The arrangement of the various parts above described is such that when the wheel 23 is allowed to remain loosely upon the shaft 11 without compressive contact against the plate 15 traveling therewith. Now should the pulley be revolved in the reverse or clockwise direction, the cam 24 being in rotative contact with the plate tends to revolve in the opposite direction whereby the higher projection of it is carried around with the aid of the spring to tend to press against the plate 15 to prevent rotation of it. Continued rotation of the pulley 10 will force the cam 24 into engagement with the plate 15 to such an extent that the plate 15 will be held stationary afterwhich the pulley 10 can only be revolved against the frictionaldrag of the facing 14 pressing thereagainst by the then stationary plate 15. V V V I find an immediate and highly desirable application of my invention to an exercising or rowing machine as illustrated in Figs.3 and 4. For such adevice I form a rectangular frame having the side rails 28 and 29,

the rear crossmember 30 and a forward cross member 31. The forward crossmember 31 consists of an angle bar placed across the top sides of the side rails and spaced rearwardly somewhat from the forward ends thereof. On the forward side of the rail 31 I mount an assembly which is substantially a combination of two of theeunitslabove described, as best indicated in Fig.5.

In this form I provide thebr-ackets 32 and 33 which carry the shaft 34 therebetween' One end of the shaft 34 has a cone 35-screwthreadedly engaging thereon and abutting the inner side of the bracket-32. A nut 36.

screw-threadedly fits about the outer end of the shaft 34 and is'drawn up tightly against the outer side of the bracket 32- to retain the shaft 32 in a fixed position. A plate 37 similar to the plate 15 above described carries the ball bearings 38 to ride on the cone 35, the plate 37 being rotatively carried on the shaft 34., A pulley 39 is rotatably carried on the shaft-34 adjacent the plate 37 with a friction disc 40 therebetween. The pulley 39 has a hub 41 projecting laterally along and about the shaft 34 to be abutted by the oppositely disposed hub 42 on the pulley 43.

Beyond the pulley 43 isIa-friction disc 45 and aplate 46 rotatably mounted on the shaft 34, a ball bearing 47being carried in the outer endof the plate 46 to" ride about the cone 48 which is slidably carried on the shaft 34. The shaft 34 extends outwardly beyond the bracket 33 through a sleeve 44 to SCIW- ly the cam 52 is held in rotative contact with the plate 46 by means of the spring 53.

A coil spring 54 is fixed by one end to the rear cross member 30 and to its forward end is attached a rope 55 which is carried forwardly under, around, and over the pulley 39 and down rearwardly under the roller 56 which is rotatably carried on the transverse shaft 57 to carry the hand grip 58 on its end. In the same manner, a spring 59 is fixedto the cross member 30 to have a rope 60' fixed to its forward end, which rope is carried forwardly under the pulley 45, over, and around under the roller 61 also rotatably carried on the shaft 57, and out therefrom to carry the handgrip 62. The shaft 57 is supported by being passed through the brackets 32 and 33 and is fixed thereto by the set screws 63. The rollers 56 and 61 are maintained in spaced alignment with the pulleys 39 and 43 respectively by the M-shaped bracket 64 which is fixed to the shaft 57 by the set screw 65 to have'the bracket depending from the shaft so as to serve also as means for guiding thev ropes 55and 60 as they may return under the rollers. Foot pedals 65 and 66 are rotatably mounted onends of the shaft 57 which extend beyond the brackets32 and 33, the pedals being retained on the shaft by means of set screws screw-threadedly passed through the hubs of thepedals and slidably entering annular grooves 67 about the shaft. .A foot board 68 is mounted across the rails 28 and 29 adjacent the front member 31 and'a seat 69 is provided to be moved along the rails.

The seat is essentially an inverted box carrying the transverse axles 7 0 and 71 between the sides thereof, on the outer ends of which within the box are rotatably mounted the flanged wheels 7 2which roll on the top edges of the side rails 28 and 29 with their flanges on the outersides of the rails.

Midway between'the axles, an arm 7 3 is fixed to each side of the box to extend in the seat from the rails. The rear edge of the seat is provided-with an apron'74 which'extends downwardly sufficientl so as to strike the cross member 30 upon shifting of the seat that far back. Legs? 5 are provided'at the.

rear of the rails 28 and 29 to lift and hold plate. arresting means is shown.

76iare; provided at the forward end' of the rails as means permitting the easy shifting. of the entire apparatus about over. the floor by lifting the rear end.

.When the device is to be operated, the op erator either sits upon the seat 69 and puts. his feeton the pedals 65 and 66 or stands on the board 68, and in either position grasps the grips 58 and 62 with his hands and pulls thereon against the resistanceof the springs 5 f and 59-which is easily overcome. Resistance to pullis increased by tightening up the hand wheel 49 which action tends to press the plates and the intervening discs against the pulleys 39 and 43, and, since the pulleys are being revolved by the travel of the ropes. thereover in the direction to causethe. earns 50 and 52 to engage the plates 37 and 46, the resistance isthen set up by the degree of slippage permitted between the plates and pulleys through adjustment of 'thehand'wheel 49. Upon cessation of pull on the ropes, the-springs 54and 59. will return the ropes to their original positions i since the pull of the springs will pull on the ropes to revolve the pulleys 39 and 43 in the. reverse direction to rock the cams-50 and 52 away from engagement with the plates, thereby permitting the plates to revolve freely with the pulleys without the pulleys having to slide thereover as in the original travel,

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9-in the drawings, a very eflicient modification of the In this form, I provide an annular laterally projecting ring 7 8 on the face of the plate 37 and mount a dog 7 9 between the bracket 32 and the plate 37 to be supported at one end by a pin 80 fixed to the bracket 32 and extending through the slot 81 in the end of the dog. The other end of the dog is provided with a slot 82 across the vertical facetoward the plate, the slot being somewhat wider than the width of the ring 78 and receiving the ring therethrough. stop bar 83 is fixed to the bracket 32 about the dog 79to limit the upwardtravel of the dog to substantially a line passing through the pin 80 and the. center of the plate 37'. A spring 84: bears betweenthe stop 83 and thetop of the dog 79, normally rocking the dog downwardly as indicated in Fig. 9.

WVhen the pulley 39 revolves in a clockwise direction, Fig. 9, the plate 37 will; tend to revolve likewise and the dog .7 9 will tend to travel therewith by its free end as directed by the spring 84. However, since the dog is supported at its other end, it will tend to rock about the ring 7 8 and force the lower and upper corners or edges of the opposing faces of the slot 82 to grip against the inner and outer peripheries of the ring with'the result that the plate 37 is securely gripped thereby and held, against rotation. The

slightestmovement of the plate 37 in. the

need not be sharpened as experience has shown that they may even be rounded and still hold since it is the leverage action and not a cutting action that causes the dog to hold the plate, similar to theaction of band ing a flat bar by means of amonkey wrench.

I claim:

1. In a variable frictional resistance device, a revolvable pulley member, a frictional contacting disc'member adjacent the revolvable member, means for varying the pressure between the revolvable and contacting members, and means permitting revolution of the contacting member with the revolvable member in one direction but pre-- venting revolution in the reverse direction.

2. The combination of a shaft, a pulley and a plate adjacent the pulley revolvably carried about the shaft, means for selectively moving thepulley and the plate relatively toward each other, and a member adapted to hold the plate against rotation in one direction and to allow rotation in thereverse direction.

"3.The'combination of a shaft, a pulley and a plate adjacent the pulley revolvably carried about the shaft, means for selectively moving the pulley and the plate relatively toward each other, and a member adapted to hold the plate against rotation in onedirection and-to allow rotation in the reverse direction, a rope about the pulley, and a spring normally returning the rope about the pulley in said reverse direction.

- 4. In a friction controlled device, a pulley, a ropecarried around said pulley, a spring normally carrying the rope around the pulley, frictional disc means adapted to resist travel of the pulley under pull ofthe rope against the pullof the spring, and cam means automatically relieving said resistance, upon reverse travel of the pulley.

5. In an exercising device, a seat, a pulley mounted forward of the seat, a rope about the pulley, a spring normally carrying the rope aroundthe pulley away from the seat, a friction disc adjacent the pulley, means comprising a plate, a sleeve, and threaded means for pressing the sleeve against the plate for varying the pressure of the friction disc against the pulley, said friction member being adapted to be revolved with the pulley, means adapted to engage said friction member and hold it againstrotation during travel of the rope toward said seat and to release said friction member during reverse travel of the rope. i

6. The combination of a pair of brackets, afshaft carried bythe brackets, a plate-and anadjacent pulley eachrevolvably carried on' the' shaft between said brackets, means said brackets.

cooperating with said shaft to draw said plate compressively against the pulley and a member carried by one of the brackets in movable contact with said plate.

7. An exercising device embodyinga rope M an adjacent pulley each revolvably carried on the shaft between said brackets, means cooperating with said shaft between said brackets to draw said plate compressivel'y against the pulley, and a shiftable' member carried by one of the brackets in rotative con-' tact with said plate, said means comprisi'rn, a hand wheel screw-threadedly engaging an end of said shaft projecting beyond one of 9. An exercising device embodying a rope adapted to be pulled,'means normally returning the rope, and a frictional mechanism comprising a pulley, a friction disc and adjust-able means for contacting the pulley and disc'for selectively varying the re-sistanceto the pull on the rope, and means automatical ly relieving said resistance upon return travel of the ropes. 1 j v 10. An exercising device embodying a rope adapted tobe pulled, means normally return- .ing the rope, and a frictional me'chanismfor selectively varying the resistance to the pull on the rope, said frictional mechanism automatically relieving said resistance upon return travel of the rope, and comprising a pulley over which the rope is pulled. a friction plate adapted to be pressed against the pulley, and a cam in rotative contact with the plate.

- 11 An exercising device embodying a rope adapted to be pulled, means normally returning the rope, and africtlonal mechanism for selectively varying the resistance to the pull on the rope, said frictional mechanism automatically relieving said resistance upon retional member adapted to revolve with-the pulley, and a cam member automatically holding the frictional member against rotationin one direction of rotation ofthe pul-. u ley and. releasing it in the other direction.

13. The combination of a pulley, a frictional member adapted to revolve with the pulley, and a member automatically holding the frictional member against rotation in one direction of rotation of the pulley and releasing it in the other, said frictional member having an annular, 'la'terally extending ring, and

said member being supported by one end and 7 one'end and having a notch across a side near the other end through which notch said ring may t'ravei,"and means for variably pressing said frictional member toward the pulley.

15. In combination with a revolvable driven member and'a'frictional member, an annular ring carried by the frictional member, a dog having a slot across one face toward one end thereof, through which slot said ring may travel,and means supporting the other end ofthe dog, said other endof the dog being slotted at right angles to the plane of rotation of said frictional member, and said supporting means consisting of a relatively fixed frame, a pin supported from the frame and passing through the slot in the end.

16. In combination with a revolvable driven member and a frictional member, an annular ringcarriedby'the frictional member, 'a dog having a slot across one face toward one end thereof, through which slot said ring may travel, and means supporting the other end of the dog, said other end of the dog being slotted at right angles to theplane of rotation of said frictional member, and said supporting means consisting of a relatively fixed frame, a pin supported from the-frame and passing through the slot in the end, and spring means between the frame and body normally rocking said dog about said pin to remove said dog from a line through said pin and the center of said frictional member.

17. In combination with a revolvable driven member and'a frictional member, an annular ring carried by the frictional member, a dog having a slot across one face toward one end thereof, through which slot said ring may travel, and means supporting the other end of the dog, said other end of the dog being slotted at right angles to the plane of rotation of said frictional member, and said supporting means consisting of a relatively fixed frame, apin supported fromthe frame and passing through the'slot in the end, and spring means between the frame and body normally rocking said dog about said pin toremove said. dog from a line through said pin and the center of said frictional member, said dog contacting a frame extension to limit the return travel of the dog against the pressure of the spring to substantially said line.

18. The combination of a pulley, a'fric tional member adapted to revolve with the pulley, and a member automatically holding the frictional member against rotation in one direction of rotation of the pulley and releasing it in'the other direction, said holding member comprising a plate contacting the frictional member and arotative cam adapted to be moved into contact with the plate.

19. The combination of a pulley, a frictional member adapted to revolve with the pulley, and a. member automatically holding the frictional member against rotation in one direction of rotation of the pulley and releasing it in the other direction, said holding member comprising a rotative cam spring pressed against a periphery of the frictional.

member,the cam being rotative in the same plane of rotation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOSEPH H. STALEY. 

